In this data-driven world, information is more valuable than money. Most internet-based companies use and sell your personal data to third parties. Hence, the privacy of your personal data while being online is of utmost importance.
VPN is a great tool to keep all your information private. Are you someone who got Starlink satellite internet but wondering whether it will work appropriately with your VPN service?
If so, you have come to the right place. Here in this article, I look for answers about whether the Starlink internet connection works perfectly with a VPN client or not. So, let’s get started!
Does Starlink Work With VPN Clients?
The great majority of virtual private network (VPN) service providers are compatible with Starlink. It has been verified that popular VPN clients like NordVPN and Surfshark VPN are compatible with Starlink internet service and perform effectively.
While it’s true that VPN connections and satellite communications haven’t always gotten along in the past, while researching this subject, I found very few reports of Starlink having problems with VPNs.
Even though VPN connections and satellite communications systems had some incompatibilities in the past, the new Starlink systems are reportedly working fine with almost all available VPN clients.
Therefore, there is no feasible technical explanation for why Starlink would not be compatible with a virtual private network (VPN).
VPN (Virtual Private Network) is a service that safeguards your Internet connection and privacy while using the internet. It encrypts your data, protects your online identity by disguising your IP address, and enables you to use public Wi-Fi hotspots without risking your personal information.
A VPN connects your computer to the server of the VPN provider by establishing an encrypted and safe tunnel between the two locations. Before being sent out onto the general internet, all of your internet traffic will first be sent through this VPN server.
Because of this, the general public internet will never really see any traffic coming from your personal computer. Everything travels through the virtual private network server, which acts as a shield for your local network.
Using a VPN to connect to the internet is not a new phenomenon. Businesses, governments, and other organizations, among others, have been utilizing private networks, or VPNs, for several years now to enable secure communication between their servers and remote access points.
Since the data traveling to and from your computer and the VPN server is encrypted, the information has a reduced risk of being intercepted and misused while it is in transit to and from your computer.
Also, check out our separate post on does Starlink internet have data caps or limits.
Why Should I Use a VPN with Starlink?
Several compelling arguments can be made to support using a Virtual Private Network in conjunction with your Starlink Internet Service connection. The method of Connecting to the internet using a VPN with Starlink or another internet service provider is the same.
Here are some reasons why you should use a VPN with your Starlink internet:
1. Personal Confidentiality and Safety
The protection of one’s privacy is the primary and most compelling justification. Whether you like it or not, the company that provides your internet access will collect a lot of information about you.
Your Internet service provider (ISP) can easily log your browsing activity and personal information if you do not use a virtual private network (VPN).
In reality, many internet service providers’ Terms and Conditions stipulate that they may sell customers’ personal information to outside parties or business partners.
Moreover, it is mandatory by law for Internet Service Providers, such as Starlink, to keep track of every website their customers visit and to provide this information to law enforcement authorities upon request from a court order.
In addition, many websites will log your IP address to monitor your online activities across the internet.
A VPN is not an end-all, be-all security and privacy solution, but using one does help you a great deal in safeguarding yourself.
Even if you use a VPN service, it is still important to implement additional security measures, such as disabling cookies that track your activity and removing malware from your device.
Here’s a complete guide on Starlink VS HughesNet all you should know.
2. Gaining Access to Content That Is Regionally Restricted
Many websites, especially streaming ones, have varying content based on the user’s country. For example, streaming services are restricted to the markets of a few nations, and particular material may be region-exclusive.
If you use a reliable virtual private network service, you’ll be able to go around many of these restrictions and browse the internet from a range of locations worldwide. VPNs can also help you to avoid local blackouts, like those utilized by streaming providers for sports.
3. Online Gaming
You should also use a virtual private network service for gaming if you wish to conceal your IP address from other players. If you search for a user’s gamer tag, there are places where you can find that user’s IP address.
Your actual Internet Protocol address will be concealed if you use a VPN service. Upon search, the website will reveal the IP address of the VPN provider instead of your original one.
Starlink employs a technology known as Carrier Grade Network Address Translator, which is analogous to that used by mobile phone carriers (CGNAT). Through CGNAT, Starlink can provide service to thousands of consumers while only requiring a single public IP address.
CGNAT works by first providing you with a private IP address that cannot be accessed from the public Internet, then using NAT to link you up to a public IP address.
Due to the limited availability of IPv4 addresses and the fact that IPv6 has not yet been implemented everywhere, this is beneficial for Starlink to maintain a stable network.
If you connect a game console or PC to an Internet service provider (ISP) that employs CGNAT, you will not be able to host online matches or participate in online tournaments as a player.
This is not a problem for regular web surfing but can be a problem for online gaming. Your NAT type will display as strict since you cannot accept any connections made to you from the outside world.
Using a virtual private network (VPN) allows you to get around this problem by getting rid of CGNAT and connecting you directly to a public IP address.
Go and check our other article on Starlink for gaming-is it good or bad.
What Are The Cons of Using a VPN With Starlink?
When you use a virtual private network (VPN) with Starlink, you could have two primary problems: an increase in latency and a drop in network speed.
When the Starlink satellite-to-satellite links are fully operational, they will direct traffic to the ground station that is geographically closest to the user or offers the lowest latency.
There is a possibility of increased latency, often known as ping because you are routing all of your internet traffic through a VPN server before it reaches its final destination. This would be problematic for playing online video games and making video calls.
In addition, because all of your traffic is routed through a VPN server, the rates at which you download and upload data are entirely dependent on the VPN server. Your connection speed may decrease if a large number of individuals are simultaneously using the same VPN server.
Also check our exclusive tutorial on can you cancel Starlink internet anytime.
Conclusion
Starlink is a satellite broadband internet company aiming to spread its services even in the remote corners of the world. But this connectivity can fire back on itself if proper measures are not taken into place to protect your privacy from various companies that are constantly selling off your data.
Using a VPN is a good choice to mask your information from anyone who is willing to use it for their sake. Like other conventional internet services, Starlink too can be used with a VPN client to access the internet, but the latency of your connection might increase for doing so.